can i lose weight but still eat rubbish?

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I think you can eat 'rubbish'. What this site does for me is actually look at what and how much I eat during the day. It has made me think about what I order at a restaurant or fastfood place and sometimes helps me make better choices. For instance, when I go to Subway, I used to almost always order the footlong BMT, on white, with extra cheese and sometimes bacon added. Now, when I go there I order a footlong Club, which has a lot fewer calories.

I haven't really changed much as far as where I choose to eat, I just think now about what would be a better choice. Plus, I love to snack during the day, too....chips, chocolate, etc.

The key is to use moderation in your 'rubbish'

I think you'll find that by eating *rubbish* foods, you'll very quickly use up your daily calorie allowance. But by eating more healthy and nutritious foods, you'll be able to eat quite a bit more.

It got to the point with me where I had to start making healthier choices anyway because I just stopped losing weight, whether I had a low calorie day or not. It's not the amount but the types of calories you eat that make a difference

why would you set out to deliberately to eat rubbish? a treat now and again fine, but it sounds to me like self sabotage? xx

When you want something sweet grab a piece f fresh fruit, it takes a while to retrain your brain but I find a banana or apple will satisfy my craving for something sweet and be good for me at the same time.

If you're trying to stick to 1200 cal per day you'll hit your daily limit pretty quickly with junk food. (Of course, one option is to exercise a bit more and then reward yourself )

I strongly belive that if you want to eat 1200 kcal it should be all healthy.
If you can't quit sugary snacks, how about upping kcals to 1400 and eating 1200 healthy + 200 snacks?

MFP puts you on 1200 because you probably have chosen as your goal to lose 2 lbs/week,
but you do not have to lose so fast, it's healthier to chose 1lbs per week or even 0.5 and eat more.

Technically you can but that would be an unhealthy option. Also, you wouldn't feel very satisfied. For example, if you wanted to eat 30 grams of carbs, you can eat an entire bag of vegetables or 10 gummy bears for the same amount.

I don't know about you, but an entire bag of vegetables would be a much more filling choice. Plus it would include vitamins and fiber which your body needs.

A tiny handful of candy isn't really a realistic portion. You will definitely be hungry and crave more sugar.

It sounds like (from your profile) you want to make a permanent lifestyle change and keep the weight off. Eating a healthy diet will give you a healthier body long term, but going on and off diets and seeing your weight yo-yo does you no good physically or mentally. My suggestion would be to make gradual changes. You could try to eat only healthy food, cut out all excess sugar and junk food, but how long could you sustain that for? It will probably be easier (and therefore more sustainable) to gradually cut back on the junk.

Instead of focussing on what you're cutting out, try to think of healthier things you can add in. As others have said, on only 1200 calories, you will probably struggle to feel full and satisfied on only junk. Try new things and experiment with your diet, without thinking of it as a way of depriving you. (A lot of people find 1200 hard to stick to anyway, that might be something you look at increasing in the future).

As you gradually make changes, you can focus on one aspect at a time, maybe cutting sodium levels for a few weeks, or cutting down on sugar, drinking more water, getting more fibre, protein etc.

I'm not advocating living off junk at all, but I know how hard it is to stick to a diet that feels like a diet. When I started MFP I decided that I wasn't going to give up any of the foods I like. I still have pizza, chocolate, wine etc. Over three months, my diet has got a lot healthier, I've found new foods that I like and I don't eat as much of that stuff as I once did, but I also feel like this is a way of eating that I can continue forever. I'm not miserable from depriving myself of food I like, but at the same time, I've naturally started making healthier choices.

Ultimately, a healthy diet is going to be much better for you than one full of junk, but I believe that if you make it a gradual process, you'll find that you're far more likely to stick to it in the long term.

Technically yes, as long as you stay in your calorie range however your body will not thank you for this in the future (diabetes etc) and so you should aim to be healthier.

If you are finding it difficult then you could introduce the dietary changes slowly. For example, you could firstly aim for your 5 a-day fruit/veg. Start by substituting your snacks with a piece of fruit like a banana, apple or handful of grapes. I love carrot sticks dipped in hummus for my morning snack! These do have sugar but it is natural sugar so you will still taste the sweetness. Gradually the sugar cravings will go away. Then you could start to look at breakfast.....then lunch......then dinner and introduce veggies/salad and then before you know it you will be eating healthier all the time and having the "rubbish" as treats in moderation.

Its all about planning your meals as well. Just don't buy rubbish at the supermarket.......then you wont have it in the house to eat it!

I understand that all this advice you have been given is easier said than done and only you can make the decision to become healthier if that is what you want to do.

You have to find something that's sustainable for you. I personally find an 80/20 (or 90/10 if I'm having a good week!) rule works well for me. If my choices 80 per cent of the time are healthy, then the 20 per cent that is less healthy is much less of an issue. I haven't given anything up entirely, just reduced frequency and/or portions. Most days I'll have a little of something I fancy, or even a little of a few things, provided they fit into my calorie goals. I also try to make the 20 per cent choices a bit better, and more enjoyable - 30g of good quality chocolate rather than a bar of Dairy Milk, or a slice of freshly-made crisp pizza from my local pizzeria instead of two or three slices of soggy, much-higher-calorie Dominos. Having the indulgences I like in moderation makes me much less likely to fall off the wagon entirely, and keeps this lifestyle enjoyable for me - life's too short not to enjoy yourself! Good luck finding your balance.

sounds strange yes but what i mean is as long as i eat only my 1200 calories can i eat sweets and high fat food or does it mean i have to eat 1200 calories of healthy food. see im a snacker and crave suger so im trying to figure out what i can and cannot have
please help

I do, I eat takeaway food a lot, chocolate a lot.... BUT I walk a lot to counter it. IMO eat what u like or you'll be miserable and then quit, just watch what u put in your mouth.... however I do agree with the people who say eventually you have to eat more healthy, so try mixing it up only eat rubbish.... say at weekends....it works for me, & BTW I've lost 42lbs so far, so it works for me.

I cant spend a day without eating a sugar treat. most days 100ml scoop ice cream, some days a whole DBC even! and i loose weight:) but i always always always exercise, and try to stay around (i dare not say under ) calorie limit(+/- 100 cal atmost)

Technically, you could, say, eat 4 Mars bars a day and nothing else, and lose weight, but it's not something I think anyone would advise

You can eat "junk", but the problem with such food is that it tends to not be very filling, and lacking in the nutrients you need.

Best to ensure you have a balanced diet and have "junk" as an occasional treat

Yes, sounds like a brilliant lifestyle. I recommend 4 Snickers Bars per day - only 1200 cals. Slim in no time.

But what would be the point?